'A lot of tears, a lot of sorrow, a lot of dejection' follow after Texas' hopes of upsetting USC fall apart

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Southern California wide receiver Steven Mitchell Jr. left, can't reach a pass intended for him while under pressure from Texas defensive back Davante Davis during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Freshman quarterback Sam Ehlinger, who led a 91-yard touchdown drive late in regulation in his second start, fumbled on Texas' possession trying to drive toward the goal-line.

"He was the heart and soul today," linebacker Malik Jefferson said. "Him fighting, him pushing, him going the extra yard, him taking those hits -- you can't say anything more.

The loss ended Tom Herman's six-game winning streak against teams ranked in the AP Top 25 and dropped Texas to 1-2. Still, the loss was a significant sign of progress three games into the Herman era.

"We wanted to win," Herman said. "There was a lot of tears, a lot of sorrow, a lot of dejection in that locker room."

Here are four takeaways from the Texas loss:

Not quite déjà vu all over again

Again, a Texas quarterback faced a key fourth down against USC.

Again, the play got made, although not for a game-winning place in history.

Facing fourth-down at the USC 28, Ehlinger found Armanti Foreman for 11 yards and a first down. Two plays later, he hooked up with Foreman again for a 17-yard touchdown pass in the right corner with 45 seconds left.

The 91-yard drive partially made up for several missed opportunities. Ehlinger (21-of-40, 298 yards, two TDs, two interceptions) admitted to some jitters.

Five takeaways as Texas falls to USC in heartbreaking fashion

"It took a little bit of time to get used to the roar of a crowd in a sold-out stadium," Ehlinger said of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Texas was unable to get points after DeShon Elliott gave it prime field position midway through the fourth quarter with his second interception and a return to the USC 25. The drive ended on an Ehlinger interception.

"I think we know there's a guy that had some freshman issues tonight," Herman said, "but is a guy that was a warrior there down the stretch on the road against a top-five team."

At the same time, Herman indicated that if Shane Buechele was 100 percent from his shoulder injury, he would get most of the first-team reps Monday. Texas has bye week before facing Iowa State on Sept. 28.

Don't blame the Texas defense

Quarterback Sam Darnold (28 of 49, 347 yards) and USC's host of skill players will eventually find a way to dent any defense.

What the Longhorns defense did was give the offense a chance by holding USC in check, a hallmark of Todd Orlando's defenses at Houston against ranked opponents (think of the pressure on Louisville's Lamar Jackson). Three times, the Longhorns stopped USC on fourth down, including a stuff of Ronald Jones on fourth-and-goal from the 1 in the first quarter.

Elliott gave Texas its third interception return for a touchdown in as many games, going 38 yards off a tipped pass in the final minute of the first half. His second came in the fourth quarter and he nearly had a third.

Photos: Texas falls just short of stunning Southern Cal in Rose Bowl rematch

"To the public, it might be his coming-out party," Texas defensive back Holton Hill said. "We see it all the time."

Third-down specialist Jeffrey McCulloch took USC out of field goal range with an 11-yard sack in the fourth quarter.

"They kept us in the game," Herman said of the defense. "We couldn't do anything in the first half. Nothing."

Trojans gained momentum at the half

USC took advantage of Texas dropping its defensive backs very deep with a big-play touchdown.
Darnold bought time against the Texas pass rush and found Jones underneath the Texas defense. The former McKinney North standout did the rest.

After Hill slipped, Jones cut to his left and beat the secondary to the end zone. The 56-yard touchdown on the final play of the first half gave USC a 14-7 lead.

"The big plays killed us," said Jefferson, who finished with 11 tackles.

The running game disappeared

After pounding San Jose State into submission, Texas never established the running game against USC.

After combining for 32 carries and 238 yards - 166 by Warren - against San Jose State, the two had just nine carries for 24 yards. The quarterbacks again became the focal point of the Texas run game, between Ehlinger and Jerrod Heard in the Wildcat package.